• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.7
• /
• pp.3647-3650
• /
• 2016

Background: Colorectal cancer is one of the major health problems worldwide. However, limited studies have been reported from ASEAN countries. This study was conducted to evaluate clinical characteristics and survival of colorectal cancer cases aged <65 years and ${\geq}65$ years in the central region of Thailand. Materials and Methods: Clinical information, histological features, endoscopic findings and treatment outcome were collected and reviewed from Thammasat University Hospital, Pathumthani, Thailand between November 2011 and October 2015. Results: A total of 121 colorectal cancer patients, comprising 69 men and 52 women with a mean age of 65.8 years, were included. There were 57 aged <65 years and 64 aged ${\geq}65$ years. Common presenting symptoms were abdominal pain (37%), weight loss (34%) and anemia (32%). Mean duration of symptoms prior to diagnosis was 173 days. However, longer diagnosis time was demonstrated in patients aged <65 years than age more than ${\geq}65$ years (119.4 vs 58.4 days, P-value=0.30). Colonic fungating mass was the most common endoscopic finding (64.4%) and the location was significantly more commonly left than right side of the colon, both in younger and elderly groups (87.7% vs 12.3%, P=0.02 and 70.3% vs 29.7%, P=0.02, respectively). Adenocarcinoma with moderated differentiated was the most common histology (67.3%). More than half of the patients presented with advanced stage (28.9% with TNM stage 3 and 38.8% TNM stage 4, respectively). Overall 1-year and 5-year survival rates were 76.9% and 5%. Conclusions: Most colorectal cancer patients in Thailand have adenocarcinomas and present at advanced stage with poor prognosis. Screening of high risk patients and early detection might be essential factors to improve the treatment outcome and overall survival rate of colon cancer patients in Thailand and other ASEAN countries.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.152-159
• /
• 2012

Objectives: This study evaluated bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (BRONJ) in patients diagnosed with malignant bone tumors. Demographic findings, laboratory, and radiographic analyses were performed to characterize disease severity and progression. Materials and Methods: Patients who had been diagnosed with BRONJ (2005-2010) at the authors' hospital according to the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons were investigated. Twenty-one patients (12 with multiple myelomas, 7 with breast cancer, and 2 with prostate cancer) who had been treated with bisphosphonates (BPs) for malignant bone tumors were included. Radiographic evaluations with a panorama, computed tomography, whole body bone scan, and laboratory findings were evaluated for erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), c-reactive proteins (CRPs), and c-terminal cross-linked telopeptides (CTXs). Results: The average age of the patients was 64.3 (range 51-80), and they were treated with BPs for an average of $35{\pm}19$ months before BRONJ was diagnosed. Types of BPs were zolendronic acid (81%, intravenous [IV]), pamidronate (4.8%, IV), zoledronic acid+pamidronate (4.8%, IV), alendronate (4.8%, per os [PO]), and ibadronate (4.75%, PO). Extraction (67%) and persistent irritation of dentures (20%) were the most common triggering factors. BRONJ in the mandible was reported in 62% of the cases, in the maxilla 24%, and both 14%. BRONJ occurred more frequently in patients with multiple myelomas (n=12, 57.1%). Most of the patients revealed an advanced BRONJ stage; Stage I (n=2, 9%), Stage II (n=13, 62%), and Stage III (n=6, 29%). Conclusion: The differences of the ESR, CRP, and CTX values between the BRONJ-recurring and non-recurring patients after the treatment were not evident. Later stage BRONJ patients showed lower CTX levels. A drug holiday after the diagnosis of BRONJ did not remarkably influence the surgical outcomes. However, the limited number of patients in the study should be considered.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.301-305
• /
• 2000

Background: The surgical indications of stage IV non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) are extremely limited with its controversial results. We analyzed the surgical results and survival in selected patients with resectable stage IV NSCLC. Material and Method: We reviewed the medical records of 21 patients who underwent operation for stage IV NSCLC from Jan. 1992 to Sep. 1999. Result: The mean age of patients was 55.6 years(range: 35 to 78). Sixteen were men and 5 were women. Tissue types were squamous cell carcinoma in 10(45.5%), adenocarcinoma in 9(40.9%), large cell carcinoma in 1 and carcinosarcoma in 1. Distant metastatic lesions were ipsilateral other lobe of lung in 18, brain in 2 and adrenal gland in 1. Pneumonectomy was performed in 16 patients, bilobectomy in 3, and lobectomy in 2 who underwent previous operatin for brain metastasis. Mean follow-up duration was 21.2$\pm$17.7 months. During follow-up period, 13 patients died. Three-and 5-year survival of patients were 38.0% and 19.0%, the median survival time was 19.1$\pm$7.8 months. In the group with ipsilateral pulonary metastasis(PM, n=18), 3- and 5-year survival of patients with N0 and N1(n=9) disease were 64.8% and 32.4%, median survival time was 55.3$\pm$27.2 months. Three-year survival of patients with N2(n=9) disease was 11.1%, median survival time was 10.6$\pm$0.3 months. The survival of N0 and N1 disease group was significantly better than that of N2 disease group(p=0.042). Also the disease free survival of N0 and N1 was significantly better than that of N2 disease in overall group(53.3 months vs 12.1 months, p=0.036) and ipsilateral PM group(63.4 months vs 8.8 months, p=0.001). Conclusion: We suggest that surgical treatment is worthful modality in well selected patients with stage IV NHSCLC especially with ipsilateral PM and N0 or N1 disease,. Nevertheless our study indicate questions that will need to be experienced further in larger studies.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.177-185
• /
• 1994

Slow seedling growth rate and nodulation failure of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) has been limited its good establishment to pastures. The experiment was done to determine the effect of removal of cotyledon and unifoliolate on the shoot, root growth, and nodule formation of 4 white clover cultivars for 8 weeks after the treatment. Four white clover cv. Regal (large leaf), Louisiana S-I (medium-large leaf), Grasslands Huia (mediumsmall leaf), and Aberystwyth S184 (small leaf), were grown in IOcm plastic pot containing 2:l:l soi1:sand:peat moss mixture until grown to cotyledon or unifoliolate stage and then removed one (Cl) or two cotyledons (C2) at cotyledon stage, and unifoliolate only (U), unifoliolate and one cotyledon (UCl) or unifoliolate and two cotyledons (UC2) at the unifoliolate stage, and the plants were sampled at 4, 6 and 8 weeks after the treatments. The intact plants had greater shoot and root dry weights, and no. of nodules than removal-treated ones. Removal treatments at cotyledon stage, the dry weight and no. of nodules more decreased in C1 and C2 than that of unifoliolate stage. While the severer cotyledon removal, the more reduction. Although the dry weights and no. of nodules steadily inclined with regrowing period, the former were higher in Regal and La. S-1 than in the others since 6 weeks after removal treatment but the latter was more in S 184 than in the others 8 weeks after removal treatment. Relationship between no. of nodules and shoot or root dry weight was analysed as linear mode while the earlier and severe removal, the steeper slope. It was concluded that severer damage of cotyledon and unifoliolate had detrimental effects on the shoot and root growth, nodule formation, and aftermath establishment of white clover.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.665-682
• /
• 2015

Structural identification or St-Id is 'the parametric correlation of structural response characteristics predicted by a mathematical model with analogous characteristics derived from experimental measurements'. This paper describes a St-Id exercise on Humber Bridge that adopted a novel two-stage approach to first calibrate and then validate a mathematical model. This model was then used to predict effects of wind and temperature loads on global static deformation that would be practically impossible to observe. The first stage of the process was an ambient vibration survey in 2008 that used operational modal analysis to estimate a set of modes classified as vertical, torsional or lateral. In the more recent second stage a finite element model (FEM) was developed with an appropriate level of refinement to provide a corresponding set of modal properties. A series of manual adjustments to modal parameters such as cable tension and bearing stiffness resulted in a FEM that produced excellent correspondence for vertical and torsional modes, along with correspondence for the lower frequency lateral modes. In the third stage traffic, wind and temperature data along with deformation measurements from a sparse structural health monitoring system installed in 2011 were compared with equivalent predictions from the partially validated FEM. The match of static response between FEM and SHM data proved good enough for the FEM to be used to predict the un-measurable global deformed shape of the bridge due to vehicle and temperature effects but the FEM had limited capability to reproduce static effects of wind. In addition the FEM was used to show internal forces due to a heavy vehicle to to estimate the worst-case bearing movements under extreme combinations of wind, traffic and temperature loads. The paper shows that in this case, but with limitations, such a two-stage FEM calibration/validation process can be an effective tool for performance prognosis.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
• /
• v.17 no.8
• /
• pp.407-413
• /
• 2019

The purpose of this study is to measure the shopping experience of a more specific SNS shopping service, limited to shopping through the Instagram of the Millennial Generation. Based on the AISAS purchasing phase, a qualitative study was conducted on the user experience of SNS shopping services in parallel with the survey and in-depth interviews. As a result of the study, the aesthetic experience appeared mainly in the Attention stage and the Interest stage, the emotional experience in the Action stage and the Share stage, and the cognitive experience in the Search stage. While there have been many empirical studies on the impact of SNS on consumer behavior to date, this study is meaningful in that it has led to a contextual study of the user experience on SNS shopping services. The research is expected to help establish a brand and service strategy differentiated from existing mobile shopping services when providing SNS shopping services in the future.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.291-297
• /
• 2022

Dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a type of progressive blindness that is primarily due to dysfunction and the loss of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). The accumulation of N-retinylidene-N-retinylethanolamine (A2E), a by-product of the visual cycle, causes RPE and photoreceptor degeneration that impairs vision. Genes associated with dry AMD have been identified using a blue light model of A2E accumulation in the retinal pigment epithelium and transcriptomic studies of retinal tissue from patients with AMD. However, dry macular degeneration progresses slowly, and current approaches cannot reveal changes in gene transcription according to stages of AMD progression. Thus, they are limited in terms of identifying genes responsible for pathogenesis. Here, we created a model of long-term exposure to identify temporally-dependent changes in gene expression induced in human retinal pigment epithelial cells (ARPE-19) exposed to blue light and a non-cytotoxic dose of A2E for 120 days. We identified stage-specific genes at 40, 100, and 120 days, respectively. The expression of genes corresponding to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) during the early stage, glycolysis and angiogenesis during the middle stage, and apoptosis and inflammation pathways during the late stage was significantly altered by A2E and blue light. Changes in the expression of genes at the late stages of the EMT were similar to those found in human eyes with late-stage AMD. Our results provide further insight into the pathogenesis of dry AMD induced by blue light and a novel model in vitro with which relevant genes can be identified in the future.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.404-412
• /
• 2016

This paper not only aims to establish a plan to acquire the water stage data in a constant and proper manner by using limited manpower and costs, but also establishes the fundamental technology for acquiring the water level observation data or the stage data. For this, this paper focuses on how to acquire the stage data, in a uniform manner, that can represent each basin by developing the technology for establishing the optimal observational network. For that, this paper identifies the current status of the stage gauge stations installed in the ChungJu dam including wetland basin mainly along the national rivers. Then, thus obtained factors are used to develop the representative unit hydrograph. After that, the data are converted into the probability density function. Then, the stations are calculated information transfer amount. As a last step, we establish the optimized stage gauge network by the location of the stage station and space impact that takes into account for the combinations of the number of the stations. In other words, we consider the combination of the stage gauge station with information transfer amount and spatial correlation analysis for estimation.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.143-150
• /
• 2015

At present, the actual condition is that Korean modular structures are limited to a low rise detached house and military barracks. And there is no standardized structural design method of stacked modular structure. Accordingly, in general, they don't review impact force in the stage of stacking and installing a module, the effect which wind load has on a structure in the stage of lifting, and inertial force occurring in the stage of lifting or transporting a module in the process of constructing a structure. Therefore, this study investigated the construction method of modular system to be studied in stages, and decided on the position to which load was applied and boundary condition in structural analysis at each construction stage. Besides, inertial force according to each speed was calculated in the lifting and wheeled transport of module. And we calculated impact load according to lifting speed in module stacking and installation work and wind load due to instantaneous wind speed in the installation work by lifting. On the basis of the suggested method, in the modular system to be studied, it carried out review of structure by changing determining conditions of load being applied by construction stage, such as in the stage of lifting, in the stage of transport, and in the stage of installation, and drew construction conditions securing stability structurally.

• Annals of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.180-188
• /
• 2023

Backgrounds/Aims: The present study looked at the role of radical surgery in gallbladder cancers (GBC) with limited metastatic disease. Methods: The retrospective observational study was conducted to screen the database from 1st January 2010 to 31st December 2019. Patients of GBC found to have low-volume metastatic disease upon surgical exploration were included. Results: Of the 1,040 patients operated for GBC, 234 patients had low-volume metastatic disease (microscopic disease in station 16b1 node or N2 disease isolated port-site metastases, or low burden peritoneal disease with deposits less than 1 cm, in adjacent omentum or adjacent diaphragm or Morrison's pouch or a solitary discontinuous liver metastasis in adjacent liver parenchyma) detected intraoperative. Of these, 62 patients underwent radical surgery for R-0 metastatic disease followed by systemic therapy, while the remaining 172 patients did not undergo radical surgery and were given palliative systemic chemotherapy. Patients who underwent radical surgery had significantly superior overall survival (19 months versus 12 months, p < 0.01) and superior progression-free survival (10 months versus 5 months, p < 0.01) when compared to the rest. This difference in survival was more significant amongst patients when operated on after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Regression analysis showed that a sub-group of patients with incidental GBC with limited metastases showed more favorable outcomes with radical surgery. Conclusions: Authors suggest a possible role for radical treatment of advanced GBC with a limited metastatic burden. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy can be used for preferentially selecting patients of favorable disease biology for curative treatment.